Faceoff - WR Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos

Posted 7/29, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Jeff Tefertiller

Josh McDaniels brings his version of the pass-happy Patriots offense to Denver. McDaniels was instrumental in helping New England develop into one of the most prolific passing offenses in the league. After the trade of Jay Cutler, he hand-picked Kyle Orton to run the Bronco offense. While it is doubtful that Orton will pass 600+ times like Cutler in 2008, there is still plenty of reason for optimism. McDaniels knows how to put up passing stats and get his stud receivers the ball. This is great news for Marshall, and his fantasy owners.

Cutler was allowed to throw the ball so much because of three major factors: the Bronco defense was horrible, the team had two very good receivers in Royal and Marshall, and Denver plays in the weak AFC West. The good news is that all three of these are still true today. The Bronco defense is still horrific. Like Cutler, Orton will have to pass often just to keep the team in games. Royal and Marshall return to anchor the passing offense. In fact, Royal's emergence helped keep defenses from focusing too much on Marshall. Lastly, the AFC West still has some of the worst defenses in the NFL. The Raiders and Chiefs are young on defense and lack a decent pass rush. Plus, both lost their defensive coordinators this offseason. This can only help the Bronco passing game, especially Marshall.

Even after missing the first game of the 2008 season due to suspension, Marshall still finished as the eleventh ranked receiver. He was WR9 the year before. So, after these two strong campaigns, fantasy owners would expect to pay a Top 10 price for such a premier player at the receiver position. But, there is good news. Marshall's ADP (Average Draft Position) is WR14 and player 34 overall. What a bargain.

The drafting of Knowshon Moreno is one reason for the projected decrease in pass attempts for Orton. Moreno is a talented back with ability as a receiver. The team also brought in two veterans, Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan, to add needed depth to the running game. This is a HUGE upgrade over Peyton Hillis, Michael Pittman, Tatum Bell, and company from the 2008 Broncos.

It seems as though Marshall has off the field issues every offseason. This summer, he has been relatively quiet. The only noise we hear about Marshall is how he wants a new contract and may hold out to get a new one. While this is not a good thing at all, there is a high likelihood that he reports on time and plays out his rookie contract. Probably the most troubling aspect for Marshall this offseason is the recovery from hip surgery. Marshall is still working back from the injury, but was able to perform high-flying basketball dunks. It looks like he will be in good shape for training camp.

One last concern for Marshall's 2009 prospects is the chance for trade. While the current situation in Denver may have some issues, it is still a spot where Marshall can put up elite numbers. Marshall is still young and improving. He could be very special under the tutelage of McDaniels and company. If Marshall went elsewhere, there is risk of a reduced opportunity. But, the downside is still pretty small compared to Marshall's immense talent.

Downside - by Matt Waldman

It's easy to love Brandon Marshall's skills. He has the rare strength to dominate corners in press coverage and gain yards after contact as a ball carrier. Although he was a raw route runner at the University of Central Florida, Scouts Inc. analyst Keith Kidd commented in an October 2008 article on ESPN that Marshall was one of the five best route runners in the league.

"Marshall has come a long way in learning how to read coverages and adjusting his routes as he moves down the field...He is very natural as a route runner, with the quickness and explosion to get in and out of cuts for a big receiver," he said.

Clearly, Marshall is one of the better young receivers in the NFL and former Broncos QB Jay Cutler made Marshall his security blanket like Jeff Garcia did with Terrell Owens in San Francisco years ago. What Cutler and Garcia have in common is the ability to improvise and make accurate throws on the move. Kyle Orton has a strong arm and has improved his accuracy over the years so he's capable of squeezing the ball into tight spaces. However, he's not as skilled as Cutler in this aspect of his game, and he is a sitting duck in the pocket. Don't expect Orton to lean on Marshall as much as Cutler, because he lacks the pocket-extending skill to do so.

Josh McDaniels' new offense will require a transition and players will need to work together to develop timing and rapport. Spring hip surgery sidelined Marshall, putting him behind. During his time off, he opted to work out with Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Jennings and Michael Clayton. Although local Broncos scribes say Marshall looks healthy, the receiver intimated in an article written by Yahoo! writer Sean Jensen that he has still a ways to go to get into playing shape.

If having a new quarterback and spring hip surgery wasn't enough to give fantasy owners pause, Marshall was arrested in March after he already promised Roger Goodell that he would avoid brushes with the law before the NFL commissioner reduced his three-game penalty to one. According to ESPN.com this is Marshall's fourth arrest since 2006 and his previous suspension in 2008 was for incurring "seven police-related incidents with his former girlfriend...."

It's hard for me to believe Marshall will avoid suspension in 2009 after breaking his promise to the Goodell, whose childhood dream must have been to be Marshall Dillon from Gunsmoke. Although I have Vincent Jackson ranked higher than Marshall despite Jackson facing suspension for a repeat offense, the Chargers receiver will return to a team that has continuity with the play calling and personnel. Plus, Jackson was healthy in the off-season. Marshall's situation is just the opposite and he's being coy about potentially holding out of training camp.

It may easy to love Brandon Marshall's skills, but it's hard to ignore all the issues that could hold back his preparation to be the same player in 2009.